‘The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dream shall never die.’

Friday, 28 December 2012

Liberation

Ahh the simple pleasures in life...

It is marvellous to go to bed when you want, not when someone else is tired. Although I did not abuse the privilege like I will in the future, last night was the first time I went to bed without it being contingent on someone’s schedule. The first time in my whole life.

I am not even 36 hours into independent living, and I know it is something I will cherish for the rest of my days. My first night was a simple, but revolutionary affair: watching TV at cinematic volume, in the dark with air conditioning on. Then at 10pm making some notes for the new PhD chapter, whilst listening to Tegan and Sara at full blast before I called it a day at Midnight.

Whilst it may seem mundane to you, this is what I call utopia.

Today I got up at my normal hour, got dressed and showered just in time for the first ball of Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test, Kindle at the ready. I was left alone from 930am til 2pm when I decided I wanted some food. No carers arrived halfway through my book or in the middle of play: this was freedom.

And in a final somewhat vulgar note, the most pleasant and liberating surprise is being able to sit on the toilet without someone in the next room impatiently waiting for me to finish. I’m beginning to think ‘Just buzz me when you are done’ might be the most beautiful phrase in the English language.